DISCUSSION: As the Earth continues to undergo a gradual warming trend, one of the hotter topics in science and society is the large variety of issues pertaining to a shrinking percentage of average annual Arctic sea ice coverage. Over the past few decades, there has been a substantial increase in the magnitude of inter-seasonal Arctic sea ice melting. As a result of this increased Arctic sea ice melting, this has created substantial changes in much longer-term Arctic sea ice coverage changes. One of the more notable changes to Arctic sea ice coverage is the fact that the recent increasing rates of sea ice melting are also melting away much older sea ice. This is indicative of the fact that tremendous amounts of Arctic sea ice are being lost both seasonally and annually over the course of recent decades. The defense for this determination is based on the fact that in order for older sea ice to be extinguished, a much greater percentage of the uppermost layers of Arctic sea ice must first melt away.

Therefore, the increasing average temperature across many parts of the greater Arctic Circle are directly causing a major percentage of annual Arctic sea ice to melt away which makes the deeper, older Arctic sea ice much more vulnerable over the course of time. This is a significant change and impact to the overall ice record, since this also induces a more amplified release of carbon dioxide and other trace gases into the atmosphere which furthers the impact of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is effectively the process by which various gases which exist naturally and/or are anthropogenically-generated are trapped in the middle to upper parts of the atmosphere and consequently trap increasing amounts of heat on Earth. This additional heat being trapped within the global atmosphere surrounding planet Earth acts to further exacerbate the problem of a gradually warming planet. Thus, the average temperature increases in and around the Arctic Circle are a major concern for life on Earth as we continue to get further into the 21st Century.

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Natural hazards have always posed a problem. Whether it be an earthquake, volcano or tornado, quick communication has always been able to get the message out and rescue unaware people. With that being stated, the Bogoslof volcano in Alaska may be close to a massive eruption. It has erupted frequently, and it may pose a risk to eagles and aviators alike. Bogoslof, located in the Aleutian Islands, is 850 miles towards the southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. Townspeople will not be affected by ongoing eruptions. On Monday, the volcano erupted, spewing a massive ash cloud protruding into the air, erupting for roughly 3 hours. Ash clouds were seen by pilots in the area and were reported at an estimated 32,000 feet.

Agile work by the National Weather Service is proving to be critical, as many flights are being forced to re-direct their course. Flying directly into a cloud of ash can nearly destroy the aircraft’s engines. It is suggested to fly over or around the ash.

Daily models suggest that ash from Bogoslof will drift southwest and start to spread horizontally outward. Higher ash clouds will be towards the south while lower clouds emerge to the north.

Recently, there has been frequent seismic activity and this volcano could erupt again, causing more headaches for pilots.The National Weather Service, along with others are able to monitor the volcano nonstop.

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